Bagpiper pleads guilty in kegs and eggs case

The University at Albany student who played the bagpipes while others trashed Albany’s Pine Hills neighborhood during last winter’s notorious kegs and eggs melee pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor Tuesday.

James Kiernan, 21, pleaded guilty to criminal mischief, agreed to pay $995 in restitution for the damages caused in the March 12 incident and will perform 250 hours of community service as part of his guilty plea.

Staff writer Robert Gavin reports that Kiernan was six credits away from graduationwhen he was expelled by University officials after internet videos of the melee surfaced.

His punishment is severe if you compare how the Albany courts treat repeat offenders, especially drug dealers. Albany is a city run by liberals and the politicians are afraid of being called “racist.” I suggest that similar punishment be handed out to the street thugs that drive around with loud music, throw their blunt wrappers in the street after they exit the “hadgi” stores on Clinton Ave and the rest of Arbor Hill., use profanity in public(especially when talking to children) and basically act uncivilized. If the police enforced quality of life crimes, maybe the white liberals from Clifton Park and Delmar would venture here on weekends and week nights !!!!

so if youre white and a student in Albany this is all you recieve, I wonder if he was black and from west hill what would be the penalty? eual justice? i dont think so! continued coddling of college students, I do think so!

Story doesn’t say if he caused any direct damage himself, but it doesn’t matter – he was there and helped create the atmosphere that led to the damage. I hope SUNY is doing all they can to prevent this disgraceful conduct from occurring again. And I hope that every single one of the manchowder ingesters who was involved has been expelled and sentenced to pay restitution.

@ Taxman #3. You don’t know the meaning of “liberal” and are equally ignorant of the meaning of “conservative.” You’re just a bigot. I’m sure you know what that word means. Also, “anachronism” may be a bit large for you, but look it up.

The unknown glory of this story is that when he was arrested, the kilt that he was wearing was not his. It belonged to the Albany Police Pipe and Drums and he never returned it when he stopped participating in the band. While in jail, the cops returned the kilt to it’s rightful owners. Kiernan was given inmate pants to wear when he was released. By give, I mean charged him $200 for them. Ha!

‘I suggest that similar punishment be handed out to the street thugs that drive around with loud music, throw their blunt wrappers in the street after they exit the “hadgi” stores on Clinton Ave and the rest of Arbor Hill., use profanity in public(especially when talking to children) and basically act uncivilized.’ – Sounds like you’ve seen all this stuff first-hand, why don’t you do something about it? If you see someone throwing a blunt wrapper (or any other litter), grab em and say, ‘Hey, what do you think your doing, pal?’ – see how that goes over. At least we’ll respect you for not being all talk.

The liberals in Albany don’t even know what would have happened years ago had these clowns pulled their act. During the days of the night squad in Albany they would have responded with cops 6 in a car and kick the crap out of all of them and they wouldn’t have had to worry about pleading to anything or the days of Capt. Murray they would have gotten tear gassed and sent their sorry butts on their way

Marlon-How many black kids get busted for playing the bagpipes anyway?

Duffman-Sorry to burst your bubble, but Albany “back then” was a democratic machine, filled with bleeding heart democrats. And you can guess what a tea party member’s chances would’ve been with Captain Murray, pretty much the same result.